Fall is Big Fish Time!

The fall bite is on, the best open-water fishing of the year is upon us!  It is also the best time of year to use big baits for big fish.  Don’t believe me?

OK, now I must post the disclaimers because I learned a long time ago that some people take things they see on the internet way too seriously, and some people do not have much of a sense of humor. . . .

That is a picture one of my co-worker buddies shared with me.  He found it on the internet.  Obviously, someone had some fun with a pair of boots and a big Catfish they caught.

Notice the anal fin on that Catfish, it is NOT a Catfish from any North American waters; that again is a Wels Catfish which can be found in Europe and can reach weights well into triple digits.  Wels Catfish are very much predatory and there are lots of legends about them from the past several hundred years, but no, that fish did NOT actually inhale some wader-wearing angler.

I have stated that our Flathead Catfish are the predatory equivalent of Wels Catfish.  There are some legends about them too, but again no anglers that have been consumed, not recently anyway.

Our fish definitely feed heavily in the fall to get ready for the hard times of winter to come and to start developing eggs and milt for next year’s spawn.  I notice fish behavior and fishing patterns transitioning to fall in late August and by late September it is definitely “on”!  If you are a hard-core angler you probably already know that; if you are not, you probably already have a lot of other things going on in the fall and have put up your rods and reels already.  Oh, yes, that is another reason I love fall fishing–there is a lot less activity and competition on the water.

I have not found a Flathead big enough to eat my fishing partner, yet.  I did have one hooked the other night that would have been a candidate.

But, you think that is just a fish story. . . .

Have a great weekend, GO FISH!